Fuel panic may be good, said PM as he told Ministers he would not be 'held to ransom' by tanker drivers

"David Cameron told shocked Ministers ‘a bit of petrol panic may be no bad thing’ as he set out his determination to defeat the threatened strike by fuel-tanker drivers. According to senior sources, his provocative remark was made at the end of a Cabinet meeting last Tuesday that was dominated by the dispute. Mr Cameron told Ministers that he refused to be ‘held to ransom’ by Unite, the union leading the strike call." - Mail on Sunday

Iain Martin: There's a crisis of competence at the top of the Tory party

"The petrol crisis has drawn attention to the flaws in the operation around the Prime Minister. There is criticism from Tory MPs who cite a lack of grip, elementary nous and media management skills. A veteran backbencher said of Number 10: “They are gentlemen amateurs who think they are brilliant. Sadly they aren’t.” In theory, Craig Oliver, the head of communications who succeeded Andy Coulson when he resigned, should know better. But he seems to have a very limited grasp of the workings of politics and of much of the media. His primary interest is in ensuring the Prime Minister is filmed from the right angle." - Iain Martin

"The necessary departure of former communications director Andy Coulson has left No 10 in dire need of a spot of tabloid common sense. Cameron and his chums could do with a bit of sharp-elbowing from a strategist who would have spotted some of the recent Middle England minefields before Ministers blundered into them." - Kirsty Buchanan in the Sunday Express

James Forsyth: The last fortnight has inspired David Cameron to change the way Government is managed

"[T]he past few days have left a deep impression on the Prime Minister. One of those who has been involved in Downing Street discussions this week says: ‘The fundamental system of management at the core of Government, including COBRA, does not work. David realises that he has to shake up the whole system.’ This desire to change the system is being driven by the knowledge that the fuel crisis isn’t the last problem the Government will have to deal with... If Cameron is going to get through this, he will need not only the Government machine working for him, but his own party behind him." - James Forsyth

Janet Daley: The Wets are reclaiming the Tory party

"So much for the Tory party being in the hands of PR professionals. These were the guys who, whatever they may have lacked in vision or convictions, were supposed to be the experts at – how did it go? – managing the message, controlling the narrative, transforming the image. And who was right out there with the message that launched a thousand petrol station queues, after having blown any chance the Tories might have had to repair their image over the dinners-for-donors mess? Why, the godfather of the modernisers himself – Francis Maude." - Janet Daley

Conservatives have returned to when power came from class, grandees and the old school tie - Observer

David Davis: The Government must show the striving classes it means business

""We're all in this together" was a good slogan, but does not convince anyone anymore. I do not doubt the Prime Minister's commitment to help working people. But this Government must show that its desire to help is not confined to speeches and press releases.In this era of austerity and public cynicism of politicians, actions most definitely speak louder than words." - David Davis MP

David Cameron under fire from MPs over Europe

"David Cameron’s handling of the eurozone debt crisis is to come under fire from an influential committee of MPs, who will attack the Government’s stance on Europe as “inconsistent”, “contradictory” and “profoundly unwise”... a report by the European Scrutiny Committee will argue that the Government blocked the treaty for the wrong reasons and has failed to set out its future strategy on protecting Britain’s interests in Europe." - Sunday Telegraph

Ken Clarke to open courts at weekends to mete out justice to yobs - Sunday Telegraph

David Cameron to face questions over meetings with fund raising group at Downing Street - Sunday Telegraph

Peter Cruddas tape reveals PM was advised to ‘be seen’ to be pro-Union

"David Cameron’s battle against Scottish independence was dealt a severe blow last night when the former treasurer of his party was caught on tape saying the Tories must “be seen” to fight for the Union even if they disagree with keeping the UK together... In the footage, Cruddas suggested that if the Conservatives gave the impression that they supported the Union, then that would ensure that England got the best possible deal after independence." - The Scotsman

"The SNP called it "a bombshell" but the Tories said they supported the Union. Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it showed the Tories were "cynically faking" their opposition to independence." - BBC

"Politics in this country was left in the gutter by the expenses scandal of the last parliament. Even with this government’s ambitious programme of political reform, it will take a long time for us to climb out. Unless we reform our discredited and distrusted system of party funding, we may never restore that public confidence and trust that is the lifeblood of our democracy." - Nick Clegg (£)

...Britain is still right over the Falklands - Sunday Times editorial (£)

How 'man of the people' Ken Livingstone enjoyed lifestyle of a jet-setting executive - all on the taxpayer - Mail on Sunday

Ed Miliband: 'this will be a one-term government'

"In an interview with the Observer, Miliband said Cameron's entire political project has been fatally undermined by rows over donations, tax cuts for the rich and the petrol crisis. He also accepted that Thursday's byelection defeat in Bradford West, where Labour lost a previously safe seat to the maverick anti-war candidate George Galloway, had been a "deep disappointment" for which he accepted responsibility. But he insisted the "tumultuous events" of the past week had, unlike the byelection, fundamentally changed the political game." - Observer

Labour leader comes out fighting after week of political turmoil - full Observer interview

"I am not saying that Labour should have held the seat, or that it would have done had it had a better organisation or a better leader. But if it had a better organisation it should have known what was about to hit it. The spin-doctorate could at least have prepared us for the singular phenomenon that is Galloway, once again feeding off the feeling of victimhood of many Muslims, and the different feeling of victimhood of some of the white working class." - John Rentoul

"The Government is to turn to reality television in an attempt to "reconnect" with the public and find a successor to Steve Hilton, the Prime Minister's "blue skies thinker"" - Sunday Telegraph

And finally 2... Galloway: Happy to be MP for Blackburn (Bradford actually, George)

"GLOATING George Galloway was left red-faced night after wrongly stating he was the new MP for BLACKBURN. But his shock by-election victory actually came in BRADFORD — 40 miles away. To make matters worse for Scot Galloway, his new Bradford West seat is in YORKSHIRE. While Blackburn is in the traditionally fierce rival county of LANCASHIRE." - The Sun on Sunday

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